READ MORE - Knee injury sidelines midfielder Flynn Perez
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BENDIGO Pioneer Flynn Perez is hopeful of being given the all clear to show his wares at the AFL Draft Combine later this year after being sidelined with a knee injury this season.
Perez is one of four Bendigo Pioneer players - along with Brady Rowles and the Geelong-based duo of Brodie Kemp and Thomson Dow - who have been selected to test at the Combine from October 1 to 4.
Perez, 17, tore his anterior cruciate ligament late last year at a Victoria Country Academy training session and has been unable to play all NAB League season, but that hasn't stopped him from being one of 79 players picked for the Combine testing.
"The knee is feeling really good and I've been able to tick all the boxes so far," Perez said this week.
"Getting into the latter stages of the rehab you need to be a bit careful, so I'll have to see what happens with the Combine.
"It will have been about nine-and-a-half months post surgery, so I'll let the physios decide whether I participate or not."
While Perez, who played in last year's Future Stars game on the MCG on AFL grand final day, has been forced to watch the Pioneers from behind the boundary line this year, Rowles has impressed on a wing and also played two games for Vic Country.
It has been a year of major adjustment for Rowles, who has moved from Mildura to Bendigo for football and school.
"I've enjoyed the move... I've made a lot of friends at Bendigo Senior Secondary College, so that has been really good," Rowles said.
"I've been able to adjust well to being away from home, which has been good."
A venue for the Draft Combine is still to be confirmed with Marvel Stadium to be unavailable.
"Competing against the best young players from Australia and to see how I compare to them and match-up is an exciting opportunity," Rowles said.
"And the chance to mingle around everybody as well will be a good experience."
Despite not being able to play this season, Perez has been kept busy in a coaching role with the Pioneers.
"I've still been able to get a lot out of the year by getting a coaches perspective," Perez said.
"I've done a bit of coaching with the backs and mids and, hopefully, the boys have enjoyed my messaging."
Meanwhile, in other football news, Golden Square's Nathan Holt is free to play in Saturday's BFNL match of the round against Eaglehawk after receiving a tribunal reprimand.
Holt, who has recently returned to the field after a knee reconstruction, was found guilty on a downgraded report of carelessly striking Maryborough's Ashley Humphrey at Princes Park last Saturday, but avoided a suspension and was instead reprimanded.
And St Arnaud's Nicholas Baldwin and Wedderburn's Tom Campbell were both suspended for one match after being found guilty of striking each other in the North Central league last weekend.
The Redbacks won the game by 99 points to climb back into the NCFL top four.
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